It's nice to know that Hal's magical ring has its limits. Like a smartphone or any other electronic gadget, it needs to be recharged frequently by inserting it into a, wait for it, green-colored lantern and saying, "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might beware my power, Green Lantern's light." It's such a funny, childish, silly-sounding incantation, which makes Hal look like a kid trapped in an adult's body, taking his nerdy comic book fantasies very seriously. But hey, at least the ring goes from 5% to 100% almost instantly. That's some remarkably fast-charging technology. Is there a model made specifically for mobiles? Gee, it would be very convenient for me. Perhaps somebody should ask the guy who invented the alien detector technology to build a green lantern for phones and other electronics. Is that guy a Manhunter, though—the one who is supposed to be the second-most dangerous threat to Hal, according to Sinestro? I would say inquire with William, but he's in no mood to spill the tea. When Hal trespasses onto his property, a sniper, on William's command, shoots him. Geez, if William has no patience for a superhero, ordinary mortals have no chance of talking to him about the inventor of the alien detector technology. Fine, I will just use my normal wall charger to juice up my mobile.
With its second episode, titled "Trust Fall," Lanterns continues to be more enjoyable as a comedy than as a superhero/sci-fi detective series. I couldn't care less about the 48-hour deadline that an extraterrestrial named Antaan gives to John or about what exactly connects Sinestro (can a villain's name be more literal?) to Hal. What happened between the two characters? Why does Hal still say his name while unconscious? Kerry, sitting beside Hal in the hospital, hears Sinestro's name, browses the Internet, and digs up all the basic information. The banter between Hal and Kerry, in fact, is more entertaining than the superheroic shenanigans. Their back-and-forth questions and answers are more exciting than the winks the series offers its fans when it shows off Hal's suit or depicts him flying to Oa to meet Sinestro. There is especially a delightful comedic scene early in the episode where the residents of Rushville, during a town meeting held by Kerry, are disturbed by the constant whispering between Hal and Billy Macon. When Kerry chides them, Hal replies, "He started it," like a child putting the blame on his friend after getting caught by the teacher.
Speaking of teachers, Hal tries to provide John with a "How to Fly 101" lesson, and let's just say he's not a believer in teaching his pupil theoretical fundamentals. "Think flight," Hal says like a professor who has taken his students to the chemistry lab and is telling them to mix chemicals in test tubes based on their own intuition so that they can gain "practical experience." Look at John's face as he lifts his toe and throws down his arms—and Hal's reaction to this gesture. It only reinforces the idea that Lanterns is best consumed as a buddy comedy adventure. With light humor like this, who needs to worry about the threat of aliens or Mindhunters or whatever? These jokes and the performances are like "green lanterns" for us: they lift our mood; they "recharge" our cells. All we need to do is "plug in" every week, which will not be a problem as long as Lanterns remains a source of simple amusement. Fingers crossed.
Final Score - [6/10]